Manufacture of vented closures

ABSTRACT

This disclosure relates to a method of and apparatus for manufacturing vented closures by first forming a disklike body having an end panel and a recess defined by a peripheral wall and an apertured end wall, temporarily enlarging an entrant opening of the recess, inserting a hydrophobic element into the recess through the temporarily enlarged entrant opening, compressing the hydrophobic element, and returning the entrant opening to a size which prevents the removal of the hydrophobic element from the recess through the entrant opening.

United States Patent Colgan et al. I

[54] -MANUFACTURE OF VENTED CLOSURES [72] Inventors: Charles E. Colgan, Glen Ellyn; Edward J.

McArdle, Morton Grove, both of 111.

[73] Assignee: Continental Can Company, Inc., New

- 1 York, NY.

[22] Filed: Feb. 26, 1969 [21] Appl.No.: 816,459

Related US. Application Data [62] Division of Sen-No. 483,526, Aug. 30,1965, Pat. No. 7

29/208 1, 29/235 [51] Int. Cl ..B23p 11/02 [58] Field of Search ..29/453, 235, 450, 451, 208 F;

229/].5 B, 43, DIG, 14; 220/44, 113/80 D [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,282,959 5/1942 Gibbs ..113/80 D X [4 Feb. 15,1972

2,567,141 9/1951 Andrew et a1 ..113/80 D 1,833,030 1 1/193] McClatchie ..29/451 UX 2,319,234 5/1943 Hathersa11.... ..29/453 UX 3,012,312 12/1961 Brudney ....29/453 UX 3,192,611 7/1965 Briechle.... ..29/453 X 3,335,897 8/1967' Castro ..220/44 3,388,600 6/1968 Gorgens ..29/453 X Primary Examiner-Charlie T. Moon Attorney-Diner, Brown, Ramik & Holt 1 1 ABSTRACT This disclosure relates to a method of and apparatus for manufacturing vented closures by first forming a disklike body having an end panel and a recess defined by a peripheral wall and an apertured end wall, temporarily enlarging an entrant opening of the recess, inserting a hydrophobic element into the recess through the temporarily enlarged entrant opening, compressing the hydrophobic element, and returning the entrant opening to a size which prevents the removal of the hydrophobic element from the recess through the entrant opening.

7 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PATENTEDFEB 15 I972 3L15 sum 1 OF 2 INVENTORS cunnuas acoLsmcn ATTORNEYS PATENTEUFEB 15 m2 3.641.659

' sum 2 or 2 INVENTORS CHHRLES ECOLGAM 6f ATTORNEYS MANUFACTURE OF VENTED CLOSURES This application is a divisional application of our copending commonly assigned application Ser. No. 483,526, filed Aug. 30, 1965, and now U.S. Pat. No. 3,455,48l.

When a paper cup or other container is filled with a hot beverage, such as coffee, tea or the like, and capped with a lid or closure of paper or plastic or combinations thereof, the lid must be provided with some means through which excess vapor can escape to atmosphere. It is conventional to provide one or more small holes in such closures or lids at center portions thereof for this purpose. Such venting means serves the intended function but, at the same time, drops of the liquid contents can pass through the vent openings imparting an unattractive and unesthetic appearance to the exterior of the closures.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a novel method of forming a closure of the type described including the steps of forming a disklike body having an end panel and a recess defined bya peripheral wall and an apertured end wall, temporarily enlarging an entrant opening of the recess, inserting a hydrophobic element into the recess through the temporarily enlarged entrant opening, and returning the entrant opening to a size which prevents the removal of the hydrophobic element from the recess.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel method of manufacturing a closure by performing the steps of forming a disklike body having an end panel and a recess defined by a flexible frustoconical wall and an apertured end wall, temporarily enlarging an entrant opening of the recess by flexing the frustoconical wall radially outwardly, inserting a hydrophobic element into the recess through the temporarily enlarged entrant opening, and releasing the flexed peripheral wall causing the same to rebound under the influence of internal forces to a size which prevents the removal of the hydrophobic element from the recess.

A further object of this'invention is to provide a novel apparatus for forming a closure including means defining a predetermined path of travel for disklike bodies each having an end panel and a recess defined by a flexible frustoconical wall and an apertured end wall, means for advancing the disklike bodies along the predetermined path, a tubular element adjacent the predetermined path, means forming a portion of the tubular element for flexing the frustoconical wall of each of the disklike bodies whereby a portion of each recess is temporarily enlarged, and means for inserting a hydrophobic element into each recess from the tubular element while the recess is temporarily enlarged.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and'the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings:

IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a schematic fragmentary top plan view of a novel apparatus of this invention, and illustrates a turret-type mechanism for cutting circular elements from a web of hydrophobic material and inserting each element into a recess of each of a plurality of closures.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary schematic side elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 1, and more clearly illustrates the turrettype mechanism and means for stacking each of the manufactured closures.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken through a tubular element of the turret-type mechanism, and

illustrates the tubular element cutting a circular element from the hydrophobic material.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken generally along line 44 of FIG. 1, and illustrates the tubular clement positioned above and in axial alignment with a recess of one of the closures.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 4, and illustrates the tubular element in a lowermost posi tion at which the recess of the closure is enlarged. and a plunger forcefully urging the hydrophobic element into the recess.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken generally along line 4-4 of FIG. I, and illustrates the retracted position of the tubular element prior to the retraction of the plunger.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the completed closure, and illustrates a generally frustoconical wall of the recess mechanically interlockingly securing the hydrophobic element in the recess.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken generally along line 4-4 of FIG. I, and illustrates a slightly modified closure in a position below one of the tubular elements housing a hydrophobic element.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 8, and illustrates the reciprocated position ofa plunger of the tubular element and thevhydrophobic element force-fit in a recess of the closure.

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary top perspective view with parts removed for clarity of a container housing a liquid and illustrates one of the closures positioned on the container to prevent liquid seepage while permitting vapor to escape through a vent opening underlying a hydrophobic element of the closure.

A novel apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, and is generally referred to by the reference numeral 15. The apparatus 15 includes a hopper 16 housing a stack of identical closures l7. Lowermost ones of the closures 17 are bottomfed from the hopper 16 by a feed bar 18 which'is reciprocated by conventional means (not shown) to progressively advance the closures along a predetermined path of travel from left-toright, as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

The closures are supported by a plate or support 20(FIGS. l and 4) having an upstanding portion 21 (FIG. 4) which functions in a manner to be described .more fully hereafter. A pair of spaced, upstanding, parallel guides or rails 22, 23 guide the closures during the advancement thereof toward a discharge end 25 of the apparatus 15.

A roll 26 of hydrophobic material M in the form of a relatively narrow strip S is supported by a shaft 27 which is conventionally journaled in the framework (not shown) of the apparatus 15. Conventional means (not shown), such as pull rolls, are provided for moving the strip 5 from left-to-right toward a turret-type mechanism 30.

The material M is preferably polyethylene which is manufactured by fusing extremely small but discrete particles of polyethylene under controlled time, temperature and pressure conditions. The particles are heated just enough to fuse adjoining particle edges together while leaving an open lattice between adjoining particles. The open lattice defines a plurality of minute openings which prevent liquid passage but freely permit the passage of gas or vapor through the material M, as will appear more fully hereafter.

The strip 8 is supported by a plate 31 adjacent the mechanism 30. The plate 31 forms a portion of the framework (not shown) of the apparatus 15, and is supported substantially parallel to the support or plate 20. Means (not shown) can be provided for guiding the strip S during the movement thereof from left-to-right toward the mechanism 30. Such guide means may be, for example, upstanding portions of the plate 31 which freely contact and guide the opposite longitudinal edges (unnumbered) of the strip S.

The turret mechanism 30 includes a shaft 33 which is intermittently rotated and reciprocated in the directions indicated by the headed arrows in FIGS. I and 2 of the drawings by conventional means (not shown). The rotational and reciprocal movements of the mechanism 30 are synchronized by conventional synchronizing or timing means (not shown). Four identical radial arms 34 are carried by the shaft 33. A tubular element 35 is supported at an outermost end (unnumbered) of each of the arms 34. Each of the tubular elements 35 is identical, and includes a lower end portion 36 and an upper end portion 37 (FIG. 2).

As is best illustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawings the lower end portion 36 of each tubular element 35 has a generally frustoconical outer surface 38 which converges with an inner cylindrical surface 40 to define a circular cutting or severing edge 4 l.

An identical piston 42 is telescopically housed in each ofthe tubular elements 35. Each piston or plunger 42 has an upper end portion 43 normally projecting upwardly beyond the upper end portion 37 of an associated one of the tubular elements 35. A reduced lower end portion 44 of each piston 42 is normally housed entirely within the end portion 36 of an associated one of the tubular elements 35, as is clearly shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings. The pistons 42 are each selectively reciprocated by means (not shown) during the operation of the apparatus which will be best understood by first describing the construction ofone of the identical closures 17.

As is best illustrated in FIG. 4 of the drawings, a closure 47 which is identical to the closures 17 comprises a disklike body 48 (FIG. 11) having a downwardly opening curl 50 at its periphery for securing the disklike body to a cup or similar container C in which is packaged a hot liquid media, such as tea or coffee. An end panel 51 ofthe disklike body 48 includes an integral upstanding annular bead 52 defined by an outermost wall 53, an inner wall 54 and an annular top wall 55. The inner wall 54 is joined to the annular wall 55 by an integral wall portion 56 defining an entrance opening (unnumbered) of a recess 57. The recess 57 is defined by the inner wall 54 and an end or terminal wall 58 having a vent opening or aperture 60. The wall portion 56 and the inner wall 54 are each frustoconical in configuration thus imparting a generally frustoconical configuration to the recess 57.

As the closures 17 are advanced along the support the terminal wall of each is in sliding contact with the portion 21 of the support 20, as is best illustrated in FIG. 4 of the drawings. Upon downward reciprocation of the turret-type mechanism one of the tubular elements cuts a circular disk or element 61 (FIG. 3) from the material M. At the same time a diametrically opposite one of the tubular elements inserts a previously cut disk into the recess ofone ofthe closures 17, as will be described hereafter.

The shaft 33 of the turret-type mechanism 35 is rcciprocated upwardly and successively indexed or rotated until the tubular element 35 carrying the hydrophobic disk 61 is in overlying relationship to, for example, the closure 47 as shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings. The axes of the tubular element 35, the plunger 42, the hydrophobic element 61 and the recess 57 are in alignment, and the shaft 33 is again moved downwardly to the position illustrated in FIG. 5 of the drawings. As the tubular element 35 moves between the position illustrated in FIG. 4 to the position shown in FIG. 5, the cutting edge 41 of the tubular element 35 contacts the frustoconical wall portion 56 and progressively flexes the wall portion 56 and the inner wall 54 radially outwardly to the position illustrated in FIG. 5 of the drawings. This same outward flexing of the wall portion 56 and the frustoconical wall 54 flexes the outermost wall 53 outwardly to temporarily deform the bead 52 to the configuration illustrated in FIG. 5. In this position the entrance to the recess 57 is enlarged to permit the free passage of the hydrophobic disk 61 into the recess 57 under the influence of the downward movement of the plunger 42 to the position shown in FIG. 5 of the drawing. The plunger 42 compresses the disk 61 causing a peripheral portion (unnumbered) of the latter element to forcibly grippingly engage the inner wall 54 ofthe annular bead 52.

After the hydrophobic disk 61 has been completely inserted in the recess 57 of the annular bead 52 (FIG. 5) the tubular element 35 is reciprocated upwardly to the position illustrated in FIG. 6 without movement ofthe plunger 42. During the upward retracting movement of the tubular element 35, the inner frustoconical wall 54 progressively rebounds under the influence of internal forces to the position illustrated in FIG. 6

of the drawings. In this position the frustoconical wall 54 securely clampingly grips and mechanically interlocks the hydrophobic disk 61 in the recess 54 in the absence of separate bonding means of any type, such as an adhesive or other type bonding means. The plunger 42 is thereafter fully retracted to the position illustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawings and the completed closure (FIG. 7) is subsequently discharged into a stacking mechanism 65 at the discharge end 25 of the apparatus 15.

The stacking mechanism 65 includes a housing 66 into which the completely formed vented closures, generally referred to by the reference numeral 67 are guided by opposite spaced guide plates 70, 71. A pair of oppositely acting pistons 72, 73 are operated by means (not shown) which progressively move the closures 67 to the right as viewed in FIG. 2. The piston 73 merely steadies and maintains the closures 67 in the on-edge position shown in FIG. 2 during the retraction of the piston 72 during which a closure is free to drop between the piston 72 and the leftmost ofthe plurality of closures 67.

FIGS. 8 and 9 of the drawings illustrate a tubular element 75 and a plunger 76 which are identical in structure to the respective elements 35, 42 of the apparatus 15. However, the method of inserting a hydrophobic disk 77 into a frustoconical recess 78 of a closure 80 is slightly different than that heretofore described with respect to FIGS. 4-6 of the drawings. The closure 80 also differs somewhat from the closure 47 in that the frustoconical wall portion 56 is eliminated and in lieu thereof an annular radius portion 81 joins an end wall 82 of the closure 80 to a frustoconical inner wall 83 partially defining the recess 78.

After the tubular element 75 has been indexed to the position illustrated in FIG. 8 with the axes of the element 75, the plunger 76, the hydrophobic element 77 and the recess 78 in axial alignment, the plunger 76 is moved downwardly without movement of the tubular element 75. The disk 77 is generally circular in configuration and the diameter thereof is slightly larger than an entrance opening of the recess 78 defined by the radius portion or shoulder 81. As the plunger descends the periphery (unnumbered) of the hydrophobic element 77 deforms slightly and the inner frustoconical wall 83 is also flexed slightly to enlarge the entrance opening and effect complete introduction of the element 77 into the recess 78. The plunger 76 compresses the hydrophobic element 77 upon continued downward movement to the position illustrated in FIG. 9 until the periphery of the element is in frictional mechanical clamping interlocking engagement with the frustoconical wall.

Upon the upward retraction of the plunger 76 the frustoconical wall 83 rebounds radially inwardly and the completely formed vented closure, generally referred to by the reference numeral 85, assumes a configuration corresponding substantially identically to the configuration of the vented closure 67 (FIG. 7).

From the foregoing, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provisions have been made for carrying out the desired end. However, attention is again directed to the fact that additional variations may be made in this invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A method of forming vented closures comprising the steps of providing a plurality of closures each having a disklike body having an upwardly opening recess defined by a peripheral wall and an apertured end wall, providing hydrophobic sheet material, cutting a hydrophobic element from the hydrophobic sheet material at one station while simultaneously inserting an earlier cut hydrophobic element into a recess of one of said closures at another station, the cutting step being accomplished by a plurality of hollow cutting tools; and including the further step of transferring each cut hydrophobic element from the hydrophobic sheet at said one station to its associated closure recess at said another cutting tool and transferring the cutting tool to and at least partially into an associated closure recess.

vancing the plurality of closures and hydrophobic sheet 2. A method of forming vented closures comprising the steps of providing a plurality of closures each having a disklike body having an upwardly opening recess defined by a peripheral wall and an apertured end wall, providing hydrophobic sheet material, cutting a hydrophobic element from the hydrophobic sheet material while simultaneously inserting an earlier cut hydrophobic element into a recess ofone of said closures, camming the peripheral wall of each closure open prior to inserting a hydrophobic element into the associated recess.

3. A method of forming vented closures comprising the steps of providing a plurality of closures each having a disklike body having an upwardly opening recess defined by a peripheral wall and an apertured end wall, providing hydrophobic sheet material, cutting a hydrophobic element from the hydrophobic sheet material while simultaneously inserting an earlier cut hydrophobic element into a recess of one of said closures, camming the peripheral wall of each closure open by at least partially inserting therein a portion of the cutting tool prior to inserting a hydrophobic element into the associated recess.

4. The method as defined in claim 1 including the step ofadmaterial, and terminating the advancement thereof during the cutting and insertion steps.

5. The method as defined in claim 2 including the step of advancing the plurality of closures and hydrophobic sheet material, and terminating the advancement thereof during the cutting and insertion steps.

6. The method as defined in claim 3, including the step of advancing the plurality of closures and hydrophobic sheet material, and terminating the advancement thereof during the cutting and insertion steps.

7. A method of forming a vented closure comprising the steps of providing a closure having a disklike body having a recess defined by a peripheral wall and an apertured end wall, providing a sheet of hydrophobic material, cutting an element from the hydrophobic sheet with a hollow cutting tool whereby the hydrophobic element is retained in the hollow cutting tool, positioning the cutting tool and recess in contiguous generally axially aligned relationship, pushing the hydrophobic element out of the hollow cutting tool and into the closure recess, and camming the peripheral wall of each closure open by at least partially inserting therein a portion of the cutting tool prior to inserting the hydrophobic element into the associated recess. 

1. A method of forming vented closures comprising the steps of providing a plurality of closures each having a disklike body having an upwardly opening recess defined by a peripheral wall and an apertured end wall, providing hydrophobic sheet material, cutting a hydrophobic element from the hydrophobic sheet material at one station while simultaneously inserting an earlier cut hydrophobic element into a recess of one of said closures at another station, the cutting step being accomplished by a plurality of hollow cutting tools; and including the further step of transferring each cut hydrophobic element from the hydrophobic sheet at said one station to its associated closure recess at said another station by housing each hydrophobic element in an associated cutting tool and transferring the cutting tool to and at least partially into an associated closure recess.
 2. A method of forming vented closures comprising the steps of providing a plurality of closures each having a disklike body having an upwardly opening recess defined by a peripheral wall and an apertured end wall, providing hydrophobic sheet material, cutting a hydrophobic element from the hydrophobic sheet material while simultaneously inserting an earlier cut hydrophobic element into a recess of one of said closures, camming the peripheral wall of each closure open prior to inserting a hydrophobic element into the associated recess.
 3. A method of forming vented closures comprising the steps of providing a plurality of closures each having a disklike body having an upwardly opening recess defined by a peripheral wall and an apertured end wall, providing hydrophobic sheet material, cutting a hydrophobic element from the hydrophobic sheet material while simultaneously inserting an earlier cut hydrophobic element into a recess of one of said closures, camming the peripheral wall of each closure open by at least partially inserting therein a portion of the cutting tool prior to inserting a hydrophobic element into the associated recess.
 4. The method as defined in claim 1 including the step of advancing the plurality of closures and hydrophobic sheet material, and terminating the advancement thereof during the cutting and insertion steps.
 5. The method as defined in claim 2 including the step of advancing the plurality of closures and hydrophobic sheet material, and terminating the advancement thereof during the cutting and insertion steps.
 6. The method as defined in claim 3, including the step of advancing the plurality of closures and hydrophobic sheet material, and terminating the advancement thereof during the cutting and insertion steps.
 7. A method of forming a vented closure comprising the steps of providing a closure having a disklike body having a recess defined by a peripheral wall and an apertured end wall, providing a sheet of hydrophobic materIal, cutting an element from the hydrophobic sheet with a hollow cutting tool whereby the hydrophobic element is retained in the hollow cutting tool, positioning the cutting tool and recess in contiguous generally axially aligned relationship, pushing the hydrophobic element out of the hollow cutting tool and into the closure recess, and camming the peripheral wall of each closure open by at least partially inserting therein a portion of the cutting tool prior to inserting the hydrophobic element into the associated recess. 